Éclat Travel's Blog

Archive for the ‘Travel Tips’ Category

What with rising gas prices, natural disasters seemingly everywhere, and unrest in parts of the world it’s enough to make some people want to just hold up in the back yard with a tent and a barbecue for the family vacation this summer and call it good.

Villa Dubrovnik

If, however, that is not your idea of a proper holiday and you are still tempted to forge ahead with your vacation plans this year, here are five very good reasons to travel now, and why using a travel pro to arrange the details is one of the smartest things you can do to maximize the value in your vacation and minimize the risks.

1. Sometimes waiting to purchase travel is the worst thing you can do. Prices can and do go up (Continental and United have already announced fare increases).
2. Availability at your favorite hotels, cruises, and attractions sell out quickly.
3. Incentives are often available when you book early. A great travel advisor has access to unadvertised specials and incentives, and knows how to get you the most vacation value for your money.
4. Yes, gas prices are rising, but there are still ways to enjoy a great vacation and not spend a fortune. When you’re building a custom vacation you have the flexibility to build it any way you want to. One cost-saving idea is to consider building your vacation around emerging destinations that may be better deals than well-established areas. And if you’re not quite sure about that, try visiting a popular destination in its off-season when rates are lower. Added benefits to traveling during the off-season include better availability, fewer tourists, and lower costs for attractions.
5. And, finally, the best reason to book your travel plans now is that tomorrow may never come. I’m a firm believer in valuing today because we never know what tomorrow will bring. Ask yourself, “if not now, when?”

Blue Mosque

If you’ve “always dreamed” of going somewhere, or doing something special, start planning it now – it’s exciting and fun, gives you something positive to look forward to, and you’ll be glad you did. And, if you have the expert guidance of a travel professional, we will be able to help you find exclusive offers, unique destinations, and provide savvy travel advice that will make your trip exciting and memorable.

Contact me for a free custom travel quote.

Cheers!

Cheryl
Custom Travel Specialist
Cheryl@EclatTravel.com
www.EclatTravel.com

Luxury Villa Provence

Private villas or other vacation rentals are a great alternative to cruises and hotels for multigenerational family groups who wish to stay together when the cruise line or hotel doesn’t offer rooms that accommodate more than three or four guests in a room, social groups or clubs who would like to meet and socialize informally who don’t have a budget for a meeting room, and for small corporate and incentive meetings and retreats where rewarding achievement, building camaraderie, and privacy are important considerations.

Designing your custom vacation, or small group retreat, using a villa rental (or rentals) can offer some great benefits. Among those are space, cost savings on dining out, privacy and common gathering areas. Depending on your budget, you can also locate luxury vacation rentals that include your own staff. Many of them have pools, and recreation equipment such as pool, ping pong or air hockey tables, bikes, theatre rooms and other amenities that traditional accommodations don’t offer.

Vacation rentals are available in many destinations including large cities, country settings and resorts. Finding the perfect villa to rent can be a challenge – there is an awful lot to choose from online. When the real estate market took a dive a lot of people owning second homes, who couldn’t sell them, decided to get into the vacation rental market. Unfortunately, when you are renting online you don’t always know what you are getting until you get there. I’m sure plenty of you have had the experience of booking something that had great photos online, but the place was not nearly what it looked like, or was advertised. That’s one reason to use a group travel organizer.

Villas Sol Costa Rica

Yes, a travel advisor who is also a professional group travel organizer can book vacation rentals and when you book a villa through an agent your chances are much better for getting what you paid for. More and more travel suppliers are offering villa rentals to their guests as alternatives to traditional accommodations and because they do, they are diligent about the quality of home or apartment they are offering.  Group travel planners will also ensure that you know all of the costs involved, such as cleaning fees, additional fees for bedding or maid service, utility fees, etc. And, probably most importantly, a group travel organiser will save you hours and hours of time searching the internet for the right property for your group.

It just so happens that I have many years of experience working with incentive group travel, family reunions and other small group vacations, so, next time you need a professional group travel organizer, let us help you with the details.

Cheers!
Cheryl
Custom Travel Specialist
www.EclatTravel.com

Valentine’s day is quickly approaching, and you are hard pressed for the perfect gift. Need some romantic date ideas? You can come up with a fabulous getaway idea if you put a little effort and advanced planning into it. If you really want to make a lasting impression on the one you love, give them something that will last a lifetime – an experience they will never forget. Creating amazing memories will endear your partner to you (i.e. score big points), assuming of course, you’re not a jerk the rest of the year. Even if the relationship doesn’t last a lifetime, the memory will. Good or bad, I might add.  So make it extra special. Here’s how to plan a romantic getaway.

Meet me at the aiport

First of all – listen! The key to creating a memorable experience is tying the experience to desires or dreams and making them come true.  Absolutely pay attention to what your mate likes or says that they have “always wanted”, “wanted to try”, “places they always wanted to go”, etc. you get the idea. 

When they say something about wanting to try paddle boarding or are thinking about learning to make the perfect calzone, loves Mickey Mouse or romantic comedies, make a mental note. It’s so easy to create the perfect romantic getaway, or memory, if you just pay attention to what someone says. If they like a particular musical artist or group – make a note. If they love to ski, always wanted to drive a race car, or always wanted to see the northern lights – make a note.  You get the idea.

What is their idea of a romantic escape? If you don’t know – ask.  It’s that simple. Yes, you can be sneaky about it and still get a good idea of what they would like without giving away the surprise – if it is to be a surprise.  Some people, like me, like surprises.  Some don’t.  It’s good to know that too, by the way. It’s generally not advised to spring a surprise on someone who hates surprises.  Being able to arrange an outing or vacation that includes elements that they adore will make you a hero.

Notice, I didn’t say, that “you” adore, unless the interest is mutual. This is to be a selfless endeavor on your part. The fact that you went to extremes to make sure that your vacation was something that they would enjoy makes it romantic.

Second, explore your options; play with some of the things you know they would like and see how you can put them together. So let’s say they love The Beatles, night life, and Italian food.  What can you do with this information? You could pick them up at 10, while Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is playing in the car, and go out for a pizza, and then go dancing at your local lounge. Hmmm. OR, you could… (stay tuned for part two).